More American drivers might rev up IndyCar

INDIANAPOLIS - In many respects, Helio Castroneves has the credentials of a bona-fide American hero.

INDIANAPOLIS - In many respects, Helio Castroneves has the credentials of a bona-fide American hero.

Today, he will try to become just the fourth man to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. Two years ago, he won the hearts of the American voting public when he tangoed to victory on Dancing with the Stars. And last year, heck, he even beat the IRS in federal court.

He's humbled just by the thought that he could join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears in the pantheon of racing with a fourth Indy 500 victory.

"Those guys, they are the gods of this sport," said Castroneves, 35, who will start today's race from the pole, the same place he started last year on the way to his third win. "To even be mentioned in the same sentence with them is already such an honor."

So what's not to like about Castroneves? That, unlike those three American racing heroes, he's from Brazil?

"The fans are blind to what Helio's nationality is just because of who he is," said his boss at Team Penske, president Tim Cindric. "They know him as the guy who's always smiling, who's emotional, who climbs the fence after he wins. They know him as the guy who loves racing here."

Yet it's been one of the drumbeats for critics of the IndyCar series the past decade or so: that its drop in popularity from its highs of the 1980s and '90s - and the NASCAR Sprint Cup's corresponding rise - was a result in part of the influx of foreign drivers.

The man primarily charged with uplifting the IndyCar brand name, new chief operating officer Randy Bernard, said that argument is simple-minded at best.

Fresh off elevating Professional Bull Riders Inc. to a firm niche on the North American sporting landscape, Bernard was brought in after the upheaval last year that saw Indy Racing League founder and Indianapolis Motor Speedway leader Tony George ousted from both posts by the rest of his family. Bernard was hired because he offered a fresh, outside-the-pitbox approach, and as he said this month, he is not about to take IndyCar down an exclusionary path.

"I think for the brand and the property, it's most important that every person in those seats see the very best drivers in the world," Bernard said. "And if they're from Brazil, so be it. One thing I will never do is alienate anyone because of where they're from.

"Now, in saying that, I don't think we've done a very good job of bringing Americans up through the grass-roots system. That's where our problem here lies. Our ladder system needs credibility. You should have to work your way up and come through our ladder system."

But there's never been a true ladder to the Indianapolis 500 or to IndyCar. Most of the 33 drivers in today's race were not chosen solely on talent, although Castroneves was. As has been the case in the past, most gained their seats based on the ability to drive and attract sponsors.

Nine Americans are in today's race; that's one more than second-place Brazil, but Indy is a special situation where sponsors can be found for one event. On the regular IndyCar circuit this year, just two Americans - Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti - have full-season rides.

One without is New Albany's Graham Rahal, 21, who will start his third 500 from the seven spot today. He was a full-time driver the past three seasons with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, but that ride vanished over the winter when sponsorship couldn't be found. He's in this race because father Bobby Rahal's Rahal Letterman Racing team put together a one-race package.

Yet Graham Rahal said his problem has been trying to convince American companies of the benefits of getting into the series as sponsors. Otherwise, he's bullish on IndyCar, which he sees as back on the rise.

"I'd love to see more American drivers in this but, at the same time, what's funny about it is some of the guys with the biggest fans are guys like Tony Kanaan (Brazilian), Dario Franchitti (Scotsman)," Rahal said. "We make such a big point of this, but people side with drivers who aren't necessarily American. I'd love to think it has a bigger effect than it does.

"But if Danica were Canadian, or if she were English, they'd still love Danica. It's not just because she's an American. I don't think it will ever be a moot point, because everyone always wants more and more, but at the end of the day, you question how much it really does matter."

Ryan Hunter-Reay, an American, was the 2008 Indy 500 rookie of the year, driving for Rahal Letterman. He has won a race this season for Andretti Autosport and will compete today, but his gig with that team is scheduled to end after the series' next race, at Texas.

IndyCar can be viable without a slew of American drivers, "and I think it is on the upswing," Hunter-Reay said. "But when it comes to the American driver thing, I also absolutely think it does matter.

"I grew up as a huge fan of IndyCar racing, and I couldn't wait for those Sunday afternoons or Saturday nights when I could turn on the TV and watch the races. I was a young American kid, a racing enthusiast, and it mattered to be able to watch Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Robby Gordon - I looked forward to watching an American go out there and kick some butt.

"I'm not saying this because I'm some patriotic crazy man who hates foreigners. It's because I want to see my country represented, because I know, as a young, aspiring driver, that made a difference to me."

tmay@dispatch.com

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